This spring, FIU’s Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom will host five distinguished Senior Leadership Fellows: a former president of Bolivia, a representative of Mexico to the FIFA World Cup, the minister of economy of El Salvador, the minister of foreign affairs of Panama and a former mayor of Miami.
“Leadership has never been more consequential than it is today, particularly in the Americas, where economic freedom, democratic institutions, and social trust are being tested,” said Carlos Díaz-Rosillo, founding director of the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom. “The Senior Leadership Fellows Program introduces students to leaders who have governed, negotiated, and built institutions at every level of government, bringing real-world experience and a proven record of high-level decision-making.”
Students will gain direct access to the Senior Leadership Fellows through multi-week study group sessions designed to spark meaningful, one-on-one exchanges with these distinguished global leaders. These free, non-credit sessions provide an exclusive forum for high-level discussion, where fellows guide conversations on leadership across the public and private sectors, economic development, global affairs, and the real-world complexities of policymaking and decision-making.
The inaugural event with the Senior Leadership Fellows will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the MARC Pavilion at FIU’s MMC Campus (10975 SW 17th St, Miami, FL). The event will feature a conversation between Díaz-Rosillo and the fellows and is free and open to the public. To register for the event, please visit freedom.fiu.edu/events.
The Spring 2026 Senior Leadership Fellows include:
Jeanine Añez served as president of Bolivia, becoming the second woman in the nation’s history to assume the office. She entered the presidency in 2019 through constitutional succession during a period of electoral fraud and political crisis, working to stabilize the country and avert escalating unrest. A longtime public servant, she previously served as a member of Bolivia’s Constituent Assembly (2006–2007) and as a two-term national senator representing Beni (2010–2015; 2015–2019). From 2021 to 2025, she was held as a political prisoner under politically motivated charges and was released after the Supreme Court of Justice annulled a 10-year sentence against her.
“Thank you to the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom for the invitation. Being here is not only an opportunity to speak, but to share and reflect with students,” Añez said. “My intention is to contribute through lived experience, in hopes of inspiring thought about leadership, democracy, responsibility, and social commitment. I deeply value these spaces for reflection and mutual learning.”
Gabriela Cuevas is a Mexican diplomat, public leader, and academic with more than two decades of experience in democratic governance and international affairs. She currently serves as the Representative of Mexico to the FIFA World Cup, leading initiatives focused on social legacy, community development, and inclusion. Cuevas previously served as President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, where she advanced institutional reform, gender equality, and strengthened parliamentary diplomacy. In Mexico, she has held roles as a Senator, a Federal Deputy, and a local government leader in Mexico City. She has also taught at international institutions and published in leading academic journals.
“Public policy is developed at the intersection of institutional frameworks, social responsibility, and decision-making processes that produce tangible societal impact. Engagement with students from the Adam Smith Center at FIU enables substantive dialogue on the ways in which governance structures, public policy design, and international cooperation shape societal outcomes,” Cuevas said. “Mentorship, in this context, extends beyond the transmission of experience to the cultivation of critical thinking, ethical leadership, and a nuanced understanding of how public decisions can be strategically designed to foster opportunity, stability, and shared value in an increasingly interconnected global environment.”
María Luisa Hayem is El Salvador’s minister of economy, a role she has held since 2019, where she leads national strategies to strengthen the country’s business environment, attract investment, increase exports, and promote innovation to drive economic growth and job creation. She brings more than two decades of experience in trade, financial inclusion, and development policy, including roles at the Inter-American Development Bank and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), where she advanced access to financial services for underserved communities across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Hayem began her career as Counselor of El Salvador’s Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
“I am thrilled to share with students at Florida International University insights on how innovation and a client-centered approach can drive economic growth,” Hayem said.
Javier Martínez-Acha is Panama’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and a finance professional with 27 years of experience in investments, banking, and capital markets. He has held senior executive roles overseeing major global corporate portfolios and is the co-founder of Geneva Asset Management, S.A., where he helped establish the firm as a respected leader in the industry. A certified securities broker, he holds degrees in industrial engineering, economics, law, and political science, as well as postgraduate studies and an LL.M. in international arbitration from the University of London.
“In an interconnected hemisphere, freedom is sustained through strategic cooperation and shared responsibility. Panama understands that stability, prosperity, and democratic resilience are not secured in isolation, but through credible alliances among democracies and collective leadership in the Americas,” Martínez-Acha said. “Democratic resilience lies at the heart of this effort. It is both a collective choice of our time and a deliberate path that safeguards freedoms while embracing pluralism. Democracy draws its strength from the sum of our peoples, and only by upholding its principles can we work together to confront the social challenges that concern us so deeply.”
Francis X. Suarez is an attorney and former mayor of the City of Miami (2018–2025), where he led efforts to improve transportation, expand connectivity, and position Miami as a global technology and innovation hub. With more than a decade of experience in real estate and corporate finance, he currently advises clients on complex commercial disputes at Quinn Emanuel and has served as outside general counsel to various companies. Suarez previously served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (2022–2023), vice-chair of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization, president of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities, and as City Commissioner for Miami’s District 4. His leadership has earned wide recognition, including being ranked #20 on Fortune’s “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” list (2021), named to the TIME 100 Next List (2019), and honored as Elected Official of the Year by the Latin Builders Association (2017).
“I’m honored to join FIU’s Adam Smith Center as a Senior Leadership Fellow,” Suarez said. “Engaging with students on leadership, economic freedom, and real-world decision-making is essential to preparing the next generation to navigate complex global challenges.”
